Touch of Magic
by c-hanting
Summary: No one would have imagined to have the presence of a woman dressed in blue join the Fellowship to vanish the evil ridding the lands of Middle Earth. Women were typically home tenders and child bearers. It did not occur to them that this woman, Nienna Ancalime, would prove them wrong that women were fierce warriors. Who knew that she was the daughter of Alatar the Blue Wizard? OC
1. Chapter 1

Rivendell, The Last Homely House East of the Sea, was famously known across Middle Earth and all of its inhabitants for the seemingly everlasting peace and beauty. It was the home the wise elvish folk who had a strong taste for finery and sophistication. Rivendell was strategically placed in a beauty valley on the foothills of the Misty Mountains that lay to the West and was filled with majestic waterfalls. During the night, the golden glow of the sunlight fades to allow moonlight to bath the place in an enchanting glow. All those who had paid their eyes upon this place was enchanted by the sheer beauty of the place and its people. The Lord of the people goes by the name of Elrond who holds a strong and unbelievably wise soul and would extend assistance to any person in need. His strength of a warrior and healing hand was legendary in stories and songs of beyond the elvish folk.

His eyes seen far too many wars and darkness in these lands. Evil thrived in the darkness and grew impossibly strong from ignorant eyes of the inhabitants of Middle Earth. It was Lord Elrond who has called upon old alliances of all races to join together in hopes of destroying evil from Middle Earth once and for all. The main assisting factor of this evil resided in a single Ring that ended in an innocent halfing's hands. A Ring that caused such trauma and burden in lands far and wide due to its disastrous Master of Darkness. Wars ignited in flames over this golden band for the soul of darkness was forever attached to this Ring. It was this Ring that caused Lord Elrond to call upon old alliances in hopes of destroying this Ring.

Faithful friends of old and old enemies who've decided to laid down arms arrived in his majestic place for the common good of Middle Earth. Lords of Men, Dwarves, Elves and Wizards arrived in a secluded part of Rivendell to hold a council meeting. Each race eyed the other with great observation and suspicion of their motives with clear tension that vibrated the atmosphere. Men could not ignore the awkward and resentful tension radiating from the elves as dwarves openly glared at their long time elvish enemy due to a complicated past. It was a miracle that these lords of these races accepted the council invitation in the beginning. There was a nudge at the back of their minds that was impossible to ignore, even for elves, that there was a sole woman in this council.

Women were not typically allowed in councils due to the apparent lack of knowledge and weak statures.

Women were to be protected from danger of any sort and believed that they should avoid any sort of danger. Eyes continuously glanced at this woman that broke an unspoken taboo of joining a council that sat at the far left between a famously known wizard and a young man. Donning a royal blue cloak that hung from her small shoulders with a silver diadem place delicately on top of her dark hair, this woman carried herself in such a sophisticated and royal manner that it made the males question themselves ceaselessly. She seemed to radiate great confidence and pride without trying. All thought of this strange woman moved to the back of their heads the moment Lord Elrond stood from his chair that overlooked the ring of races.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

Curious eyes of the council followed the small stature of the young hobbit, Frodo, as he walked slowly to the centre of the council. In a cautious movement, Frodo gently placed a golden band on top of the stone pedestal for all eyes to witness for the first time in centuries. This golden band of simplicity was the core of all evil for the soul of Sauron was attached to this. Darkness lingered around this soul that whispered dark thoughts in the ears of the members of the council. Some gasped outwardly while others cringed at the hisses of evil. It constricted the air which made breathing difficult and clutch at people's heart. A tight tension of silence overcame the atmosphere as all looked at the golden band.

A blond man, from the far right area of the ring of council members, jumped to his feet with eyes transfixed on the Ring. His blond hair swished around his head as he slowly began walking towards the stone pedestal, "In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark but in the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found.'...Isildur's Bane..."

His wide hand tentatively reached out from his side towards the Ring.

"Boromir!" Lord Elrond's booming voice pierced the air as he issued a warning to the man, Boromir. His eyes narrowed, calculating the Man's movements.

Paying no heed to the elven lord, Boromir continued to pace around the stone pedestal with a cunning expression on his face as he looked around the council, "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!"

Another man, not far from where Boromir once sat, sighed heavily and looked pointedly at him, "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir scoffed and sneered down his nose at the dark haired man who looked unaffected by the blunt rudeness. It was clear the the blond was raised in such a manner of strict hierarchy that allowed him to look down upon those who he deems unworthy.

"This is no mere Ranger." A silvery blond haired elf sharply stated as he rose to his feet with an air of royalty, "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your alliance."

"This is Isildur's Heir?"

Disbelief was clear on the man's face as he stared at Aragorn with wide eyes. Aragorn raised a brow of disinterest at the man's bewilderment. All eyes watched the exchange between the three males that only added to the tension in the air. The elf narrowed his eyes a fraction at Boromir as he stated that the heir of Gondor sat before all of them. The blood of Isildur ran through this Man's vein which caused Aragorn every right to rule Gondor. It was his rightful fate. The moment Boromir sneered down at the man that Gondor is in no need of a king in utmost disrespect that is when an unexpected thing occurred.

A small scoff was heard behind Boromir.

He turned around in bewilderment as to whom would dare to disrespect him. It was the woman donned in royal blue. The bold colour was a great contrast from the heavenly gold casted upon Rivendell and the calmer toned clothing that the council men wore. Boromir watched the woman roll her eyes in exasperation before glaring at the ignorance of this man.

"What part of _'you cannot wield the One Ring'_ , do you not understand, Boromir of Gondor? It is filled with darkness that easily corrupts any mind it crosses paths with. We have been summoned here to discuss ways to rid Middle Earth of a potential destruction." The sharp voice of the woman called out with eyes narrowed on the man. All emotions were void from her face as she observed this blond man.

A silence overcame the council as the members watched in bewilderment of the woman's nerve. Typically women did not partake in matter concerning serious matters nor did they speak out of term. Boromir took her words in deep offence as he stared at her in deep shock.

"It is laughable that you act knowledgable of such matters. You know nothing. Learn your place, woman. You do not belong in a council such as this. Women such as yourselves belong in the servant quarters and respect their superiors. It is evident that your scum parents taught nothing about respect."

The moment Boromir uttered such disrespectful words, the dark haired male beside the woman made a move to stand in defensive with rage flaring in his eyes. His movements halted when the woman held out a stiff arm to block his way. Unease radiated off the males due to the sweet smile on her face. No words came from her mouth as she stood to her feet slowly. The woman held herself in a noble manner with chin upwards and back straightened that made the men uneasy due to the sweet smile on her lips.

"I do wonder what _dear old daddy_ would think of his son's lack of manners to women and superiors. Allow me to teach you a fact or two, Boromir of Gondor." Her words were heavy with false politeness with mockery laced in. The members of the council watched her as she leaned behind her chair to grab a particular staff. The wooden staff had a large mystic gem that glowed a mysterious blue.

The woman strongly planted the staff in front of her with her chin jutted upwards. A mischievous star twinkled in her eyes as her sweet smile distorted into a sly smirk, "Allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Lady Nienna Ancalime, daughter of Alatar the Blue, one of the Guardians of Middle Earth."

Silence overcame the entire council as the younger members registered this information with deep shock. It was known throughout Middle Earth of the council of higher status individuals that consisted of very powerful and wise elves and all wizards. The five wizards of Middle Earth were known for being magic wielders and maintaining peace amongst the races. These five wizards were not known to have families due to their busy and tedious lifestyles. With this strange woman, Nienna Ancalime, caused great waves of question forming in the minds of the council.

"Ignorance is what caused the darkness to grow tremendously underneath the eyes of the inhabitants of Middle Earth. It is the reason why Lord Elrond summoned each of us here to discuss the fate of the civilians. I would suggest that you, future Steward of Gondor, to not judge harshly before you lash your tongue that is filled with _ignorance_."

 _"Nienna_." A sharp voice cut through the dangerously bright blow that was emitting from her staff as she fixed an intense glare on Boromir. In a sudden motion, the glow halted as Nienna glanced at the man she stopped from jumping at Boromir. The blood relation between the two was clearly evident from the bone structure to the hairs on their head.

What was remarkably distinct from any other race was their eyes: it was a rich violet.

The two related individuals stared each down with each intense gaze in a silent conversation. There was a slightly higher dominance that the man possessed which caused the woman to let out the smallest of breaths. With a nod of her head, Nienna returned to her chair not before she sent Boromir a smug smirk at his stunned expression on his face.

"Aragorn and Nienna are right. We cannot use it."

Gandalf, one of the few wizards in Middle Earth, stated in a serious tone. With blue eyes watching the entire exchange with Nienna and the two men. Keen observational skills was needed for particular times such as these, especially with the intense duo that sat on his left. The eyes that Gandalf possessed seen the smallest of details that could lead him to plentiful of situations that ranged from heart warming to disastrous. The depths of his blue eyes instilled hope and comfort in all those he acquainted with. Lord Elrond especially appreciated the grey donned wizard due to his consideration and companionship.

Lord Elrond nodded graciously at the wizard's direction, at whom it was directed specifically to it was uncertain, and spoke loudly at the council, "We have only one choice. The One Ring must be destroyed."

All eyes diverted to a red haired dwarf who huffed with impatience. A great frown pulled at his face underneath his great beard from the great destruction a single golden band could inflict. In a swift movement, the dwarf questioned what the council was waiting upon as he swung his sturdy axe down upon the Ring. Low hisses cried out as a powerful barrier not visible to the naked eye protected the a Ring from any harm. The red haired dwarf went flying backwards and every person cringed at the distinct darkness emitting from the Ring. The darkness clutched the air tighter than ever before and constricted normal bodily functions.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft we possess." Lord Elrond explained to the dwarf sharply, as if a mother scolding her troublesome child, "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there is can be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Silence overcame the council as unease settled deep in the minds of the members. All of these members were knowledgable of the history surrounding the Ring and Mordor. It is a traitorous and exhausting journey that tests one's skill mentally and physically. The pressuring gaze of the Elven lord made it all the more difficult to break the building tension in the air. Finally it was Boromir who had opened his mouth once again.

"One does not simply _walk_ into Mordor. It's Black Gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not even a thousand men could do this. It is folly!"

The members that were summoned were chosen for specific reasons as to their superiority and knowledge in such matters. It would not deem mature nor fit of a member to give into the urge to roll their eyes at the man's ignorance. However on the far left of the ring of members, Nienna unashamedly rolled her eyes at Boromir. The man beside her nudged her arm at her rudeness which only caused her to scowl lightly at him.

The elf with the air of royalty stood to his feet in one graceful movement and stared at the man with anger swirling in its depths, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond had said? The Ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli spat out with us hidden hatred in his words as he glared spitefully at the elf. Repugnance sparked between the elf and dwarf as they glared harshly at each other. It was famously known for the deep hatred that flared between the two races across Middle Earth.

"And if we fail?" Boromir questioned, turning a blind eye of ignorance away from the two council members, "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"What if we succeed?" Nienna shot back swiftly with a raised eyebrow at the negativity dwelling inside of the man. Exhaling in exasperation of this woman, Boromir was about to lash his tongue when the dwarf cried out in hatred that he would die before the Ring falling in the hands of his enemy race.

Chaos ensued swiftly afterwards as elves and dwarves shot to their feet with insults being thrown repetitively. Each word was growing darker from the effects of the Ring resting at such a short distance away that only fuelled their already deep anger.

Nienna, quite exasperated at the unreasonable angry banter of the males in the room, rolled her eyes and shot to her feet. Her staff suddenly glowed a bright blue due to her frustrated emotions clutching onto the wood. All intentions of retaining order in the council washed away when the man from earlier snatched her wrist. The man shook his head disapprovingly at the woman from his chair as he maintained a composed persona. Irritation flowed from the woman at his attempts of constricting her thoughts and actions. It sparked an argument between the two which added to the noise the council was currently making.

Little to everyone's knowledge, but it was the evil malice that the a Ring possessed triggered such reactions from these people.

Gandalf attempted to step between the duo in an effort in retrieving assistance of calming the council. His efforts were fruitless due to them brushing him away distractedly. The aged wizard huffed at the two before trying to interfere with the other arguments sparking between the races. Anger and repugnance was not unfamiliar to anyone that linked to the elves and dwarves. Lord Elrond had tried to regain order yet he got lost within each person shouting.

The only words that ceased the chaos was a small voice shouting from the sidelines,

"I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!"

It was the young halfling, Frodo, who courageously came to the conclusion that he will take the burden of the Ring. Determination swelled within his sky blue eyes as he stood tall to prove his strength. All eyes swirled to the hobbit in bewilderment that such a small creature could possibly take a mission where the odds were not in his favour.

"Though...I do not know the way." Frodo added bashfully, now realizing the amount of people staring at him incredulously.

"I will help you share this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf stepped forwards with eyes twinkling of hope and comfort that eased the young Hobbit's anxiousness. A smile pulled at the wizard's face as he stood by Frodo's side near the side of the council ring. It caused the intense duo the halt any movements and thoughts of theirs as they stared at the wizard with speechless shock. Violet eyes were wide as incomprehensible thoughts raced within their minds as they glanced at each other with equaled levels of bewilderment.

"If by my life of death I can protect you, I will." A warmth flared within Aragorn's voice as he stepped forwards to face the young hobbit, "You have my sword."

"You have my bow." A pure air of royalty radiated from the elf as he bravely tilted his head at the newest ring bearer.

Not wanting to appear submissive to the elf, Gimli stepped forwards with his chest puffed outwards, "And my axe!"

The two glared at each other in silence.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Finally calmed his nerves and temper, Boromir had stepped towards the small group and gazed down at the hobbit, "It this is indeed the will of the council then Gondor shall see it done."

A staff strongly slammed down on the ground making all eyes direct to the source to see Nienna standing regally in her blue skirts and strong stance. Violet eyes flared with determination and strength as she spoke clearly, "Young Frodo, you have my staff."

Eyes widened around the council at the words of a woman joining a journey. Women were not typically allowed to travel anywhere without a man to protect her let alone joining a traitorous journey. This was not your average woman who was trained for tending to a house and a family. This was Nienna Ancalime, daughter of Alatar the Blue. Nienna was halted her movements of joining the group by the man from earlier.

"Nienna, you cannot." His voice was deep as he tightened his hold on her arm. The violet depths of his eyes was stormy and the staff, similar to Nienna's, he held in his own hand glowed brightly.

Nienna narrowed her eyes as a defiant flare sparked within her at the restrictions he attempted to lay out. Ripping her arm out of his grasp harshly, Nienna stepped closer to the group with an intense glare sharpened at him, "Not this time, Nieven."

"I cannot allow for you to join a journey that has an improbable success which you will likely catch your death!" Something lay underneath his scolding tone as he pulled his brows together at her defiance.

"I am not asking for your permission." Nienna nearly snarled as she rolled her eyes in annoyance and sass, "You are not my father, therefore, you have no right to tell me what not to do."

"Nay I am not. However, as your blood relation and fellow wizard, I do have a say in what is for the betterment for Middle Earth." Huffing out, Nieven tightened his grip on his staff. His jaw clenched to prevent his anger from bursting out.

"The betterment of Middle Earth is ridding these lands from the darkness! What part of that do you not understand?" Scoffing in annoyance, Nienna placed her free hand on her hip in a saucy manner which was admirable against the intensity of Nieven.

"Do you even think of what our uncles would think of you right now? You're naivety and narrow mind will be your downfall, Nienna." Nieven scolded with his nose jutted upwards at the woman. The dark locks of hair swished around his shoulders as he shook his head disapprovingly at her. Heavy tension was gradually building in the council as all was silence due to the heated argument occurring.

"You can wallow in submission but I will be productive and putting our powers for the common good unlike you all. Keep that in mind when we rid these lands from the ever growing darkness." Sass radiated from the woman as she swirled around to join the group of males who watched them with keen curiosity. Eyes danced between the two magic wielders whose staffs were glowing dangerously blue as the argument grew more heated. They followed the woman as she walked gracefully to Gandalf's side with full determination.

No one said a word.

Lord Elrond gazed upon each one with a warming of his heart from these individuals who possessed determined and courageous heart that lead to them joining this journey. Each one came from very differentiating backgrounds that could have preventing them from joining. However they are true to their hearts and knew that this is for the betterment of Middle Earth. Eyes strong of bravery and purity that windows their souls. It couldn't have warmed the elven lord's heart more, yet also saddened it with the knowledge of the low probability of success.

" _Oi_! Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!"

A young hobbit cried out as he rushed forth from the elegant rose bushes surrounding the council area. Unlike Frodo who possess dark curls, this young hobbit had bright golden curls that danced in the sunlight. Rushing forward to Frodo's left side, this hobbit had a stubborn expression on his face as he crossed his arms in defiance.

"It is hardly impossible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." A ghost of an amused smile pulled at Lord Elrond's lips as he looked down at the fierce loyalty that this hobbit possessed for his friend. To say the least that he was slightly impressed that the hobbit managed to maintain unheard and unseen throughout the entire morning was an understatement.

"Hey! Or us!"

Two more hobbits rushed forth from their hiding place beside the entrance. Each wore a vibrant coloured waist coat as the first two hobbits. Fierce loyalty connected the four hobbits together as they stood strong beside each other. The odds of strength and physical statures were not in their favour yet they remained stubbornly strong.

"You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

"Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this mission...quest... _thing_!"

"That rules you out, Pip!"

Nienna and Gandalf exchanged a glance with suppressed smiles at the unique hobbits. Hobbits were quite particular creatures that differentiating them from any other race. It was no wonder as to why Gandalf held such creatures dear to his heart. Hobbits were irreplaceable due to their charisma, kindness and purity. It demonstrated right before them.

Lord Elrond allowed a small smile to be expressed on his face as he gazed in admiration at each of the members of this particular group, "Ten companions, so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

An air of nobility and companionship radiated from these ten individuals. The flaws and differences that each member possessed balanced equally amongst the ten of them. It was an odd group consisting of two men, four hobbits, a dwarf, an elf, and two wizards, however it was a equilibrium between each race.

One of the hobbits, Pip, grinned heartily and asked, "Great! Where are we going?"

His companion rolled his eyes and shoved him light heatedly for paying lack of attention.

* * *

 _ **Hello everyone!**_

 _ **I've had this idea of another wizard, the daughter of one of the two wizards, joining the Fellowship for a long time. The more I casually thought about it the stronger I wanted to write about it. This chapter was one that I couldn't write differently because it is crucial that it stayed the same, but do not fret, this story will be not be like reading a script!**_

 _ **For my other story that I've written, I am not abandoning it! I will write for both stories whenever I have time in my busy college life. :)**_

 _ **Reviews are great feedback from you readers and it really motivates me to continue writing! Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!**_


	2. Chapter 2

The Fellowship of the Ring remained at Rivendell to prepare for the long journey that lay ahead of them. Half of the company stayed dutiful to mapping out their routes and plans whilst keeping in mind of where orcs roamed the strongest. There had been scouting missions to ensure that the creatures of utmost darkness had left these lands. The knowledge that Saruman the White had betrayed his friends was heavy blow yet the allies remained strong and tactful. It was a tedious task due to the White Wizard's power and connection with the Dark Lord that enhanced the strength of orcs. There has been tales told of recent times and recollections of what occurred before that affected the times now. The other half of the Fellowship remained in merry spirits whilst they recover their strength and appreciated full bellies and cozy beddings. The hobbits were a merry bunch to enjoy company, as many of the other races discovered, due to their appreciation for good food and music. It was not difficult to befriend any of the hobbits.

"Shall you be certain to join this with the knowledge of what lays ahead?"

Every day that had passed in the duration of the two months there was tremendous doubt and uncertainty that Nienna Ancalime should join the Fellowship of the Ring. Many persons cautiously asked the woman several questions to obtain information of her joining. Some of which had received the hint to leave her decisions to herself whilst others remain doubtful. People ignored the fact of her being a wizard's daughter, a magic wielder, and focussed on the fact that she is a woman. The sexism grinded heavily on her nerves each day that passed. Women were house tenders and mothers of children. The feminine gender was to be protected due to their lack of strength and weak emotions. Hesitation and pitiful glances were sent her way which they received either a glare or a mysterious smirk that radiated great confidence.

It was during the stay at Rivendell that Nienna Ancalime was determined more than ever to prove that women were just as strong as men.

The morning of the departure date was immensely busy due to saying farewells and gathering their belongings for the journey. People rushed around before dawn to ensure that the Fellowship possessed everything they required. It was similar to a beehive with the amount of busy people rushing around with orders dancing around. The pony that would be travelling with the bunch had given them a difficult time in the morning due to his groggy and stubborn state. With coaxing from elvish words and apples for bribery, the pony finally heeded Samwise Gamgee's orders.

"My answer is the same as it was from the beginning until this very moment, Nieven." It was times such as these repetitive moments that Nienna needed to constantly remind herself to keep her patience and temper under control, otherwise there may be another incident of accidental magic. Many of the elves were none too pleased to find their beautifully crafted mirror was shattered from Nienna's accidental loss of control.

"Aye, but there is no harm is asking." Nieven said with a tone of concern and impatience. His violet eyes watched Nienna hustle around the room to ensure she possessed everything in her bag. Her dark ponytail swung gracefully as her every movement before falling to a stop below her ribcage as she examined her appearance in the mirror. The knowledge of being in the Wild with a company of males reminded her that there was no need to fuss over her image yet the urges were impossible to ignore.

Nienna glared at her companion in annoyance, barely able to keep her temper in control, before grabbing her light bag and tying her cloak around her body. The royal blue gave her an image of a complete descendant of a Blue Wizard with her staff in her left hand.

"The only harm you will receive is a hit from yours truly due to how annoying you are being."

Nieven rolled his eyes at the bluntness from the woman before stalking after her out of her designated room. His long legs easily caught up with her quickened pace. The hallways glowed a soft purple due to the sun about to rise in an hour. It made the halls seem filled with longing and hidden sadness; a reflection of the emotions of the Fellowship's departure to Mordor.

"All I want you to is to consider what you are going to be losing by departing and what you can gain if you stay, Nienna." His tone of convincing did little to move the stubborn woman as she continued to walk swiftly down the eery hallways of Rivendell. The stubbornness she possessed was quite remarkably similar to the dwarves.

"There is nothing to gain if I stay. There is something to gain if I do leave. Do you know what it is of what I speak of?" Nienna asked rhetorically as she glanced up at the man who stared hard at her as is she was a complex labyrinth. Huffing out in exasperation, " _The survival of Middle Earth_!"

"This journey is perilous and highly improbable of success, don't you realize?" Shaking his head angrily, Nieven adjusted his grip on his staff to distract himself of the lack of control he possessed currently. Eyes were fixed between staring intensely at the decorative halls and down at this infuriating woman at his side.

"There is always a chance of success. You must hope for it."

Nieven rolled his eyes and thought of her as childish, "That is a fool's thought. You and I both know that you will not succeed. Why is it that you continue through with this? Is it an act of proving yourself? For glory? For respect?"

"You must not be serious, Nieven." Taking full offence from his words, Nienna glared at him to cover the pain from his words and lack of support, "This is not for either of those! I am fulfilling my destined role as a Guardian of Middle Earth— something you should be doing as well!"

"How can you guard Middle Earth when you perish on this quest?" Nieven asked incredulously as they crossed over a gentle stream on a beautiful bridge. The path led to the eastern gate of Rivendell where the Fellowship was to gather to depart before dawn. Time was closing in on the departure date as the sun rose closer to the horizon.

"I am guarding Middle Earth on this quest!" Her temper and patience were hanging by a thin strand that threatened to break lose, "By the love of the Valar, why must you be persistently annoying?"

"Annoying? I am trying to save your life! Why must you be so infuriating?" Nieven called out exasperated with wide eyes with a hand thrusted forwards with his staff. He halted his walk before a set of long stairs leading out into the courtyard. His eyes narrowed down at the stubborn woman and murmured angrily, "Our uncles would be ashamed of how you are behaving. They are the only reasonable ones around these parts."

In an instant, Nienna whipped around with an angry spark flaring in her violet eyes as she hissed lowly, " _Reasonable_?! You and I both know that Uncle Saruman betrayed us the moment he sided with the darkness! Uncle Radagast has not been found for a long time. Uncle Gandalf is the only reasonable one now!"

"He is not reasonable if he believes that following a hobbit into the depths of Mordor will rid Middle Earth from the darkness. He smokes weed made by foolish hobbits on a daily basis and Radagast smokes shrooms far too much. Uncle Saruman has been the only reasonable one, Nienna."

Nienna halted her movements with widened eyes as the dawn of realization hit her, "...You're on the side of darkness."

" _Nay, you are wrong_!" Nieven shouted loudly as if those words stung him physically and gripped her elbow tightly to prove his point, "I am on logic's side, which is the side of Saruman the White."

"He betrayed us!"

"He would do no such thing! How can you say such a thing about our own Uncle? Long since has he been logical and thoughtful for he is the most powerful of our council. He is not a White Wizard for naught." An undertone of denial laced in his voice as he sounded that he was convincing himself. His eyes were wide as his head shook slowly. His hands wrung themselves on his staff and his jaw clenched and unclenched.

"Long since you have followed in his footsteps that you have become blind of whom you follow now." A grave tone captured her tone as her anger was rekindled at the strength of his grip on her.

"You have fallen from the rightful path, Nienna. There is still time to redeem yourself to the Valar." His tone was husky from his own denial and shook her elbow in an attempt to convince the woman from leaving. Thoughts of doubt have turned into mind of its own inside of his head which caused blindness to what lay before him.

"Nay, I shall not! I do not favour being blind from the colours of the world. A world consisting of solely black and white is not desirable. The moment I stopped following him is the moment I seen colour in the world, Nieven! The world is going to fade into a world of black and white and I will _not_ allow that to happen!" Nienna snarled out rightfully as she ripped her arm out of his hurtful grip. Her dark ponytail swirled around her from the movements with her eyes wild from her belief.

"Why have you stopped following him?" Nieven demanded with his own anger flaring at the stubbornness she possessed. His jaw was clenched at her defiance of everything that was before her in a small belief of hope.

"Something has changed within me. Through I am done by being a pawn of his game when there is no benefits in the end for me. It is not within me to be a mindless fool. Too long have I been following the simplicity of white while I could be embracing the blue I was born to wear. Unlike you, I know who I am and what I was born to do." A strong tension surrounded the two of them as icy barriers broke the connection they once possessed. Separation of the two was something they once thought was unimaginable; now it was something they had expected to come.

"I am not a mindless fool! A mindless fool would go into the depths of Mordor! Why must you embrace defiance when you can embrace the order of your fate?" Nieven had not hoped to be snarling at Nienna when he initiated this conservation which ultimately ended up an icy argument.

"There is a time when a person must defy whatever hold them back from their instincts. It's time for you to defy the greater powers as I have. Accepting limits is not what we have been raised to do, Nieven! We are wizards, not simple folk!" Her voice was strong as she stepped down the stairs slowly whilst maintaining their eye contact. Nienna held herself proudly as she drew the conclusion that every person has their own beliefs. It does not mean it should hold others back from following their instincts.

"You are being _delusional_ by what these strange people are telling you to believe! We must stick together for we are at our strongest peaks of power. Nienna, you cannot leave!"

A proud smirk pulled at her face which caused unease to flow through Nieven.

"Nay, I am not delusional. You cannot constrict me furthermore from doing my duty and my instinctual actions. See for yourself of the darkness consuming Saruman and what the common good of the people, then you may allow me to say the famous words of, _'I told you so'_. If you care to find me after you take the sword out of your arse to apologize, look to the eastern sky towards Mordor!"

Her footsteps were light as she began descending down the stairs. Behind her was Nieven left surrounded of an overwhelming rage and sorrow that he instinctively iced over. His violet eyes watched his twin sister walk away from his side with an elegant swish of her royal blue cloak with a sneer upon his face.

Nienna had turned around to face her brother one last time with a smug smirk gracing her delicate features and her chin jutted upwards.

"Farewell, Nieven Ancalime. I do hope you get your sword out of your arse, you should get it looked at by _dear old uncle_."

Lord Elrond cleared his throat politely to interrupt the two and watched in amusement as realization dawned to Nienna that people were listening in their conversation. His twin sons smirked in amusement behind him near their beloved sister who hid a smile behind her dark hair. Each of the elves had listened to Nienna's heated saucy words due to their enhanced hearing. It had only dawned to her at that moment and a bashful smile crossed her lips before moving to stand near Gandalf.

"This is my last word," Lord Elrond began in a low voice as he observed each of the members of the Fellowship carefully, "The Ring Bearer shall set out on his quest to Mount Doom. One him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then it gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may, set upon the road."

Lord Elrond gave a heart felt blessing from the elves, men, and all free folk in these lands. It was heart lifting to here such kind words before the sorrowful departure. There was knowledge to majority of the people that this was a fool's hope to attend such a journey. It was hope that made people piece themselves together in the darkest of times. Hope was needed to guide people and bring them together as friends and allies. It kindled warmth in the Fellowship's chests as they each smiles and said their respective farewells. It was then that the quest to Mount Doom reached the beginning.

Gandalf had taken the lead on the rocky western paths with Aragorn behind for his strong knowledge of these lands. It gave the Fellowship a sense of security of knowing that the Ranger could map these lands out in the dark with grace. The four hobbits and Gimli stuck together due to being on already friendly relations. Boromir eyed the sole woman with disloyalty and doubt lingering in his gaze from their exchanged words at the council. It lead to her rolling her eyes and falling back to the rear of the group. The elf, Legolas, watched the exchange with curiosity before motioning Nienna to walk ahead of him. It was his duty to be the eyes and ears of the Fellowship.

Tension of unfamiliarity among the members was ultimately awkward and rough for the first week.

Friends stuck to each other's sides as they quietly talked amongst themselves. From the moment of waking each other to the time to rest was an awkward affair. It was found that some of the hobbits were quite the morning persons while the woman and the dwarf were certainly not. Stubborn refusal to awaken was something that these two shared that made the others sigh in exasperation. Sunshine tried to break through the thick clouds of unfriendliness. Feisty was the dwarf and the woman and easy going was the Hobbits while the others remained a happy medium or ultimately quiet. Legolas and Aragorn had no quarrels with any particular part of the journey and remained ever dutiful to the company.

Icy winds and skies of grey for several days made each day seem tedious. The days were repetitive from the growling of the hobbits' stomachs to the biting winds as the Fellowship made their way to the western mountains to avoid being seen by any of the enemy's spies. In an efforts to make the days less dreary, the hobbits made it their goal to befriend the quiet woman. All of the members had taken notice that the woman only spoke to Gandalf in low tones that even the enhanced hearing of Aragorn and Legolas could not hear. Nienna Ancalime barely uttered a word to any of the members and kept her blue hood up and acted as a barrier from the outside world.

"Hullo!" Pippin, one of the four hobbits, greeted her merrily despite the bitter weather than dampened the mood and souls. His blond curls bounced with every lively step he took and bright green eyes looked warmly up at her.

"Good morning, gentlemen." Soft were her words as Nienna tilted her head in acknowledgement of Pippin and Merry. The mid afternoon sun was still clouded over at they continued to trek at the foothill of the great western mountains. Winds still blew sharply at the Fellowship, urging them to pull tighter at their cloaks.

"How are you on this fine morning, my lady?" With utmost respect with friendly jesting laced in his tone, Merry grinned heartily at the woman.

Nienna raised a brow at this fellow before a small smirk flittered across her face an indicated to the skies, "With beautiful weather that shines down upon our journey, it quite lightens my mood to a utmost cheery one!"

Snickers erupted throughout the hobbits and dwarf whom were near to listen in their conversation, and those with enhanced hearing smiled in amusement under their hoods. Sarcasm was heavily laced in her false cheery tone that made the day slightly lighter.

"I am pleased to hear that you are feeling cheery then, my lady." Merry grinned in amusement and exchanged a bright grin with Pippin. He watched as a small smile graced her features and tried her best to suppress it. It enlightened the hobbits to finally see her interacting with them and seen the small smile that lit her entire face up.

"We have been wondering, Lady Nienna," Pippin asked with a short glance at Merry and decided that he had been patient far too long, "Are you really a wizard?"

The violet eyes stared down at the young hobbit incredulously due to his blunt question. Nienna raised a hand to stop Merry's shoving at Pippin for his rudeness. Silence then ensued the three companions. Both of the hobbits were then confused at the suppressed grin on her face underneath her hood. It was a strange sight to see Nienna in such a bright mood yet it was a pleasant strange rather than unpleasant.

"If I were not a wizard then I would be carrying this staff for naught." Nienna exclaimed as she held her staff in clear view of the hobbits. Eyes were wide as they gazed upon the particular staff. The staff itself was a dark magohany with a large blue gem perched at the top of the staff with thin strips of wood clinging to the sides acting as vines.

"Wow! So you can do magic then?" Excitement radiated from Pippin as he nearly bounced on his large feet.

Nienna smiled slightly at the young Hobbit and nodded, "The magic that Gandalf possess' is the same that runs through my veins. I am sure you had noticed from your hiding spots at the council meeting that my staff glows. It is the magic within me that is shown in my staff."

"Can you show us, please?" Merry asked politely whilst excitement grew within him after sending her a bashful smile at the mentioning of their hiding spots.

"Perhaps during our next break, gentlemen."

Frodo, who had been keenly listening to the conversation, turned around to face the interesting woman. The depths of his sky blue eyes were nearly breath taking and his shyness made him resemble a young teenager. Frodo then asked shyly, "May I ask who that man you were arguing with, my lady? I noticed that he also held a staff in his hand like yours."

Frodo Baggins regretted asking the moment he seen storms of anger gathering in her eyes and staff beginning to glow.

"Please forget that, my lady. I-I shouldn't have pried."

A wave of guilt swelled within her at sight of the nervous and regretful hobbit. In a moment, the staff stopped glowing and Nienna exhaled lightly with a smile, "No need to apologize, Master Frodo. That man that you seen in the council was Nieven Ancalime, son of Alatar the Blue. My brother."

It was not very surprising to the hobbits upon finding this out, the two wizards did look very similar.

"How many years separate the two of you?" Merry asked with eyes swirling of curiosity and wonder from this woman.

Nienna titled her head with a small smile, "We are twins, Master Merry."

"Wow! What's it like having a twin?!" Pippin exclaimed in pure wonder with eyes swimming in interest. He nearly tripped over a jutting rock by his lack of attention to the path if it wasn't for Nienna who grasped his shoulders carefully to steady him.

"Careful now, Master Pippin." Nienna cautioned before assisting the three Hobbits on a particularly high rock that elevated from the rest of the path, "Having a twin, hm? It gets rather annoying because people always conjoin us together as one person rather than two individuals. Not to mention, he insists that we do things together and that he is always right because he is the older twin. We always have arguments and fights but every sibling goes through such things. If one looks on the brighter light of this, you could see that there is always someone you may fall to and there is a special connection between us."

The Fellowship kept an open ear to this interesting conversation at hand as the softer pitched tone of her voice was nearly musical after listening to bitter winds for the past few days. The topic of conversation had piqued their interest yet they remained silent ahead of the speakers.

"What do you mean special connection?"

Nienna hummed thoughtfully and glanced at the small patch of blue that peaked through the shades of grey, "A myth has been said that twins have a special bond when they could speak to each other with their minds. May I ask that you keep in mind that it is truly just a myth. However gentlemen, Nieven and I do share a special bond that makes us unique than other twins. Due to the fact that there is magic flowing through our veins, our bond is stronger than others. We do sense great emotions and feel a lesser extent of pain from the other. It's...difficult to describe, I apologize."

The three hobbits nodded their heads in acknowledgement of her words and soaked in this new information. At each word she spoke the more intriguing she was to them. It made their minds race with new questions springing upwards and raced to have dominance. Eventually it made their heads hurt from the many thoughts and averted the conversation to their own family relations. It was then that Nienna realized how serious hobbits take family histories. It was nearly as important as food was to the creatures. One must be knowledgeable of their own family history and their neighbours family histories. It gave a sense of comfort knowing whom you were acquainted to or spoke to.

The conversation then turned to how different the world was than what they imagined it to be. When Nienna questioned it, she nearly bursted into laughter at their emphasis of size difference yet she stifled it under her cloak for politeness. The hobbits went into depth of how they imagined it to how larger folk must lift them onto chairs to the height of where the doorknobs were. They recalled how many times they had accidentally hit their heads off of table edges and how many times larger folk had accidentally knocked them over. It made Nienna trace back to her childhood days when she was their size but it was many years prior that it was fuzzy to remember. Instead she attempted to sympathize with the small creatures.

Aragorn had finally called out that they would halt for the day— it made the hobbits nearly cry in relief. It reminded the others of the little journeying the small creatures have done in their lifetimes and decided to lighten their days slightly.

Nienna felt strong sympathy for the small folk after their conversation due to realizing their innocence and took after Pippin and Merry's task of collecting firewood. Aragorn had finally allowed for a fire after days of eating cold food and shivering in the winds. Eyes of the males traced the woman in concern that the task was too taxing on her or that she may endanger herself. All Nienna did was roll her eyes and stalked off to collect firewood all while grumbling at the little faith they held for her. With a swish of her blue cloak she returned with an impressive armload of wood for the fire, which Samwise was pleased to see.

When Samwise readied to start the fire, Nienna held her hand up to stop him and glanced at the other hobbits pointedly, "Young hobbits, I do believe that I said that I would show you some magic earlier."

It wasn't only the hobbits who watched with keen interest. Aragorn and Legolas both paused their watch of the mountains to look over their shoulders at the woman who crouched beside the place for the fire. Boromir and Gimli watched at the corners of their eyes with slight unease at a woman possessing magic— it was not natural for a woman to do so. Gandalf all but shook his head at his niece's showing off.

Nienna smiled playfully and showed them her empty and cold palm before clenching her slender hand tightly. When it opened there was a small flame floating above her palm. The hobbits gasped in pure amazement and only served the spark her ego slightly. Nienna smiled to herself before flicking the flame into the pile of carefully placed firewood. The fire gradually grew large enough for warmth and for Samwise to cook dinner for the Fellowship.

"That was incredible, Lady Nienna!"

Nienna tilted her head in acknowledgment of Merry's words and she stood to her feet, "It was just something small to show you. If it was anything else, I am certain my uncle would throw a fit."

The hobbits snickered at the wink she threw at Gandalf who only huffed at her teasing. He rolled his blue eyes at her in annoyance and returned to cleaning out his long wooden pipe while perched against a large boulder.

"I will certainly not throw, as you say, a _fit_."

"Oh lighten up, Uncle. I was only teasing you." Nienna light heartedly scolded him as she moved to sit beside her beloved uncle. At this moment of rest and relaxation from the bitter winds, her hood finally was pulled from her head and she was relieved to feel fresh hair against her exposed head.

"Better has been your mood as of late." Gandalf noted, ignoring her teasing comment for the time being, whilst still cleaning out his pipe. After the long tiring day of uneven grounds and winds that pushed against them, all he wanted to do was enjoy his pipe near the fire.

"What do you mean?" She inquired carefully.

"For days there was endless thick clouds that made the Fellowship constantly wear their cloaks tightly. Many hours ago there was a patch of clear blue skies that the clouds opened up. Wasn't it refreshing to see the skies again, dear?"

Riddles and similarities are what this particular wizard specializes in. Any person who is acquainted with the Grey Wizard would be aware that this is how he chooses to answer. One must be constantly using their minds in the presence of this wizard. Nienna Ancalime was no exception to this and had been ever accustomed to this. Her violet eyes watched his momentarily before gazing into the fire silently as she mulled over his words. The flames danced in a reflection of her own spark that was merrier as of late.

Thoughts of clouds were put aside and were replaced with thoughts of her brother.

The hobbits had unintentionally swayed her position regarding her brother due to the fact that it allowed light to shine on his stance— even it is was a small ray of light. Nieven Ancalime may be hard headed for logic and order with a knack for grinding on his sister's nerves, yet he had always been there for her. The argument that they had only served to show light upon their position. Denial against stubborn hope. Order against freedom. Day and night. Each opposition clashed harshly with the other with no victorious side nor defeated side.

"The North may be a cold and bitter place with harshness that requires a warm fire every night, while the South is a warm and fiery place that requires a cooling breeze. If one walks between the two, one would find a happy moderate climate with the coldness and hotness intermingling." Words danced off his tongue and surprised the woman to no end. His words had found the center of her jungle of thoughts with ease. Gandalf watched the woman blink at the hidden message of his words before she turned away to face the fire. Emotions were void from her face as she allowed herself to embrace the fire and silently embrace his advice.

Samwise had handed out bowls of warm chicken soup that warmed the insides of all the members. With the the fire and the delicious soup, their insides and outsides were content with warmth that they have been deprived of for the past few days. It lifted their dampened spirits as merry conversations started amongst the Fellowship.

* * *

 _ **Here is the second chapter of this story. I was inspired by Wicked's song 'Defying Gravity' for Nienna and Nieven's argument if anyone was wondering, all credits go to that wonderful play. I would like to thank the wonderful people who had already reviewed, certainly made my evening!**_

 _ **Reviewing is a wonderful device to hear feedback from the readers, so please do so! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Aye, it was a couple months ago when Master Bilbo had turned eleventy-one. Now keep in mind that the Bagginses never fail to have extravagant and lively parties filled with lots of ale and food. The Bagginses family is quite a large one, naturally there was plenty of Hobbits there to wish dear Master Bilbo a ' _Happy Birthday_ '! I'd say that it was the best party I've ever been to!" There was a nostalgic tone to Merry's voice as he recalled the celebration for the elderly Baggins. His eyes lit up his entire face with a matching grin gracing his features at his recollection.

Samwise chuckled suddenly and sent Merry and Pippin a light glare over the campfire, "Aye, it was a fantastic party until some dimwits decided to light Mister Gandalf's fireworks."

That had brought a round of chuckles from the Fellowship because it was in their knowledge that it was certainly something that the mischievous Hobbits would do. Frodo had even smiled in pure amusement and nudged his close friend with his elbow, "Remember their soot covered faces with their hair sticking in every way possible?"

"You have to admit, it was good." Merry slyly smirked at their teasing with a raise of his brow.

"You scared the bloody life out of everyone there, Merry!" Samwise scolded lightly before turning towards the other members of the Fellowship who was listening intently, "Aye, it was a large fire breathing dragon that came out of the firework. It looked quite real to me, if I do say so. The dragon had a fierce look in its eye as it soared low to the ground, so low that we all had to duck low to the ground. Scary it was!"

Pippin snickered at the recalling of their prank before winking at the unnerved Hobbit, "You must admit that it was a pretty good one, wasn't it?"

Samwise shook his head instantly while Frodo had to nod in agreement with light laughter.

"I do hope that you two learned a lesson from your little stunt, Meriadoc and Peregrin. Washing all of the party dishes was something very minor compared to what I had initially had in mind. It was in your stroke of luck that I was in a good mood that day." Sitting comfortably near the fire, Gandalf gave the two small Hobbits a pointed look of warning in his bright blue eyes.

Leaning closer to the Hobbits, the lone woman in the Fellowship shared a smirk on her face as she called out, "In the truth of his words, my uncle is a big softie when it comes to you Hobbits."

It seemed to come to naturally for the Hobbits to draw in attention with their lively story telling and jokes during their time in the Shire. It never failed to lift the heavy atmosphere surrounding the Fellowship and left them all chuckling in amusement of the small creatures. Days had grown repetitive of waking in the early hours of the morning before walking continuously all day with short breaks. The scenery was breathtaking to see the majestic mountains in the distance and the trees that stood tall and proud as they did for centuries.

Small chuckles came from Aragorn as he sat across the fire near the edge of their camp with a considerably lighter mood than he was in for the past several days. His eyes gazed across the Fellowship in careful watch as second in command in the company.

Merry and Pippin had taken to teasing Samwise for his lack of liveliness which was only because he preferred his introverted ways of peacefulness. It was all lighthearted teasing amongst them that induced chuckled from the much quieter Frodo. It relieved the company seeing that the Hobbit that carried the burden of the One Ring was indulging himself with light banter and laughter. Each one of the members of the company worried silently for Frodo because of the darkness that he carried that would have corrupted anyone else. With his bright blue eyes twinkling in amusement allowed his companions to sigh in relief.

The fiery Dwarf had taken to telling great tales of the battles that his race had partaken in. Naturally Gimli was biased upon telling his stories of the majestic warriors in the past, so his companions had to keep an open mind upon listening to his stories. It was amusing to see the Elf stiffen when he was listening to the egotistical Gimli tell his opinions and stories. Legolas constantly had to distract himself to prevent unnecessary arguments with a person he was forced to interact with everyday on this journey. He knew well enough to not argue with Gimli thus it was highly amusing to his companions to watch Legolas purse his lips in irritation.

Acting as if a grandfather would with his grandchildren, Gandalf often smiled and encouraged the company whilst smoking his pipe and stroking his beard. Occasionally the elderly wizard would tell stories of long ago during his long life that really intrigued the Fellowship. There was stories and legends of every race in Middle Earth that always had a mythical and magical sense to them. It gave a sense of comfort to all the members of the company in his presence.

Boromir of Gondor had been attempting to hide his bitterness during the journey due to not having his way in the council. Being on this journey and the presence of the woman was a constant reminder of it. He would send Nienna distrustful and hateful glances from her disrespect towards him and the fact that she was a magic wielder. All of these looks were ignored with grace and kept to herself to prevent arguments from arising. Boromir was forced to distract himself from his bitterness by focusing on the entertaining stories and lively Hobbits.

Nienna Ancalime was a particular one. Her background of whom she was was tangled with mystery and complexity. Violet eyes was the symbolic feature of the mystery that cloaked her alongside the beautiful staff she carried around. Every time that someone would attempt to interact with her, all Nienna would do was be curt with them. It was clear that she was gradually growing a little soft spot within her towards the four Hobbits. Eyes of the Fellowship would occasionally glance at her in wonder before diverting away quickly once her intense gaze caught theirs.

Aragorn was questioned by Legolas once of whom she was as he claimed of how curious this woman was. The lithe blond was none too pleased when a hearing that Aragorn hadn't much knowledge about her either. During his long Elven years of living, Legolas hadn't come across such a peculiar woman before. Being gentlemen in the presence of a woman, they felt obligated to assist her whenever possible. However Nienna was having none of it and was determined to do things independently.

An example of this is during the following day that the path of the Fellowship had encountered a very steep cliff to climb upwards to continue on. Many of the companions had difficulties climbing especially since some of them had to assist Bill the Pony up with ropes. Being gentlemen, Legolas and Aragorn had offered their hands in assistance towards Nienna. However she frowned at their hands before refusing.

"I appreciate the offer but it is unneeded."

"Please allow us to help you upwards, it is rather steep even for us."

Defiance flickered in her pretty violet eyes before Nienna brushed past them and begun climbing the steep cliff. With her staff digging into the ground, her free hand was clutching onto any leverage to assist her. Upon reaching the top, Nienna exhaled shortly and wrung out her sore hand before continuing onwards. All Legolas and Aragorn could do was shake their heads at her.

* * *

It was late the following evening and the stars littered the skies and were shining brightly when Legolas had found the magic wielder outside of their campsite. It had grown quite late and the males were wondering about the lady that had left shortly after finishing her designated chores. Nienna had traveled outwards near a small stream with the bright moonlight lighting her way. Her royal blue cloak was tucked snugly around her with her dark brown hair loose from her earlier plait and tumbled down to her waist in waves. Nienna nearly appeared untouchable in the glowing moonlight and the absolute peacefulness that surrounded her.

"Lady Nienna."

Legolas watched in hidden amusement at her visible jump at his sudden voice. Nienna blinded reached for her staff that laid at her side as she quickly whipped around. When her eyes locked onto his standing figure, she released a small sigh of relief before relaxing her tense body. Legolas wondered often at how one possesses such rare coloured eyes.

Nienna was quick to compose herself regally and tilted her head in acknowledgement, "Good evening, Prince Legolas."

His keen eyes was quick to notice that she had been rubbing her scratched hands. There was slightly bloodied scratches on her palms with the tips of her slender fingers were lightly bruised. Her pains were unvoiced to the Fellowship due to the fact that they would deem her weak if she voiced her pains. There was not any way that Nienna would allow them to deem her, a woman, weak over scratched hands.

"How are you feeling, My Lady?" The soft voice of his reached her ears pleasantly as he went to stand near where she was seated.

Nienna nodded curtly before answering politely, "I am quite fine, thank you."

Her violet eyes gazed silently at the reflections off of the gentle stream as she sat stiffly beside him. The peacefulness that she had felt had vanished by the presence of the blond. Nienna had made no movements to display her discomfort towards this.

Legolas pursed his lips at the barriers she built around herself. There was the fact that they have only met a week and a half ago and barely spoken a true conversation, yet they are both members of the Fellowship and should get along. It is beneficial for the survival of the Ring Bearer and themselves. That was his natural warrior side convincing himself to cover his curiosity towards the woman.

"Aragorn wishes that you return to the camp, Lady Nienna."

An irritation settled within her at his words and her mind raced unpleasantly. Violet eyes narrowed slightly upon the calm stream waters and she inhaled quietly. The moon was rising higher into the sky that indicated that it was growing late. It was obvious that it was the fact that she was a woman alone outsider the borders of their camp. No one pays the slightest attention to the fact that she is a natural born magic wielder that knew how to defend herself. The urge to defy their wishes was unbelievably strong despite her knowing that it was growing late.

It was clear to the Elf that there was something deeply unsettling that bothered this particular woman. Knowing it was not his place to pry into her life, Legolas offered her his hand of assistance, "Shall we return?"

In a sudden motion, Nienna turned her head to him and all defiance that stormed in her eyes vanished. Nothing was expressed on her face as all was covered in ice. Her lips were pursed and she straightened her posture before speaking, "How convenient. I was about to return anyways."

The woman grabbed her staff and stood to her feet gracefully. Her eyes displayed her emotions as her face did not. Anger and frustration swirled together in the depths of violet. Nienna tilted her head at Legolas before swiftly returning to the camp, leaving him standing with his hand still offered outwards. His eyes traced the path that she took with furrowed brows at her behaviour. One could walk these lands for thousands of years and not figure out this woman's behaviour.

No one had spoken a word of her behaviour as she returned to camp.

Violet eyes turned to her uncle to bid him a good night, only to find him enthralled by one of Frodo's stories. Exhaling softly, Nienna found herself at the edge of the camp away from the light of the small fire. Her mind and body was far too exhausted to bring out her bedroll and covered herself curled in the fabrics of her cloak.

* * *

Several days later the Fellowship was climbing upwards to follow their path, Gandalf and Nienna were busy with magic lessons.

These lessons were filled with historic magic and enchantments and whom created them. Words were confusing and lost to the others when they tried to cure their curiosity of magic. The amount of information hurt their minds and wondered how much of it did wizards have to remember. It was clear that it took a great deal of mental capacity and training to deal with these enchantments.

It left the two lively Hobbits restless and bored as they walked. Merry had a brilliant idea of practicing their sword play whilst walking. The sword clashing caught the attention of the others and it brought smiles to their faces. The two Hobbits were enthralled by the entire concept of sword fighting and wanted to hone their skills. Little did they know that they immensely lacked in skills at sword play. Amusement radiated off of the Fellowship as they watched over their shoulders at the young Hobbits. Boromir then took the initiative to take on the Hobbits under his watch for lessons.

"We shall begin our lessons during our next break, young Hobbits."

Rocks jutted upwards and large boulders were placed on top of the short mountain they were climbing. The sun shined proudly without any cloud barrier as a cooling breeze took place of the bitter winds. It lifted the spirits tremendously as they stopped for a cooling break. One lesson came to a finish as another started. Boromir had the two Hobbits standing in front of him as he gave instruction as to what they were doing. Merry and Pippin was absolutely eager to have an experienced fighter teaching them how to wield and fight with a sword.

The atmosphere was light and friendly which gave a sense of short peace.

"You should be careful, young lass, you don't want to fall from there." Gimli warned in caution as he watched her leap from one large boulder to the next. Her arms were out for balance as she relived childish moments in this time of peace. Her long hair was pulled into a high ponytail and swished whenever she jumped into the air.

Nienna didn't glance at him as she called out sassily, "I would not worry, Master Gimli, I do not fall from such _small boulders_."

Snickers erupted from those who have heard at the recollection of Gimli falling off of the small boulder just an hour before. His grunts and groans were laughable just as much as his calling out that it was on purpose, _'Do not worry everyone, that was completely on purpose!'_ His pride would not allow him to accept that he had fallen and neither would the woman, who had let out loud laughter. Her laughter was joyous which made the males listen to fully. Nienna felt a small twinge of guilt before assisting the Dwarf to his feet.

"Such sass is unneeded, lass." Gimli huffed in small irritation with a frown at his lips at the recall of his fall before turning away. In normal circumstances, it would be the Elf or himself giving sass to whomever initiated or deserved such a thing. The Dwarf was proud and stubborn which caused quite trouble for him but nothing he could not handle. Puffing out his chest and walked to stand near Gandalf, who was perched upon a boulder leisurely.

"If someone asks my opinion, which I say no one has not," Annoyance laced in his tone as he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and gazed at Gandalf meaningfully, "We should go through the mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, will give us a warm welcome."

"I will not risk going to Moria." Gandalf's tone was gravely low before his blue eyes flickered towards Nienna who was leaping onto another boulder. A pleasant look graced her face as she breathed the cooling air deeply in pure content. There was slight smile tugging on Gandalf's lips as he watched his peaceful niece. It went noticed by Gimli who sent her a glance filled with confusion.

A joyous laughter erupted out of Nienna upon the sight of the two Hobbits tackling Boromir down. The Man had accidentally gave Pippin a small cut that he is able to endure which caused the Hobbits to playfully avenge Pippin. Nienna egged the two hobbits on, much to the Man's expense, and nearly doubled over in laughter when Aragorn had been tackled too. He had attempted to be the responsible one and break apart the fight— only to be pulled in.

The woman had to jump down from her boulder to laugh freely. Troubles seem to be lifted the more she laughed. Nienna had her eyes closed and was holding her stomach joyfully from such deep laughter. The company briefly halted their movements to listen to the woman of placid nature laugh to her content. Laughter was contagious as it also brought chuckles and laughter from the others.

The peace and joy was shattered as Legolas called out in warning, " _Crebain of Dunland!_ "

"Hide!"

The Fellowship hurried to frantically cover their path and belongings to prevent being seen by the birds of evil.

The spies grew larger in a swift pace which brought the company in a hurried panic to hide. Violet eyes snapped towards her staff that lay out of her immediate reach. Nienna went to race towards it and nearly gasped when it was grabbed by a pale hand. Another hand grasped around her wrist and pulled her towards the coverage underneath bushes. Her brows furrowed at being pulled along like a young child and pursed her lips at being cramped underneath a bush with an Elf.

Shrieking and caws from the birds of darkness pierced their ears before a wave of thunderous flapping of wings caught their ears.

Breaths were held as the birds flew close to the grounds that they were occupying just moments prior. Personal space was meaningless at a time such as this one and unnerved the woman so she had attempted to silently rip herself out of his grip. Her attempts were to no avail due to his strong grip on her. As discreetly as possible, Legolas tried to hide the brightness of the blue from her cloak from the birds' eyes by moving the excess fabrics behind them and gently off of her shoulders. It hadn't helped that Nienna wore a midnight blue tunic underneath her cloak. It momentarily slipped from his mind that she was a descendant of a Blue Wizard.

When the birds were flying off in the distance, it was only then did the Fellowship crawl out of their hiding places. Nienna frowned heavily at the Elf before straightening her clothes and stalking off to be near her uncle in a huff. Legolas only exhaled shortly at her behaviour towards him. He had saved the Fellowship from being seen by the bright blue woman.

Agreement had passed that the Fellowship shall take the mountain top pass.

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 ** _I hope that this chapter was enjoyable to read. Please review this story for feedback whether it is positive or negative, it really helps me improve writing and get motivation! :)_**


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